X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Whit Merrifield Traded To The Blue Jays - Fantasy Baseball Impact

whit merrifield fantasy baseball rankings second base draft sleepers

Second Basemen Basemen Whit Merrifield was traded to the Blue Jays at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. Mark Kieffer breaks down the fantasy baseball impact of the move.

After much speculation, Kansas City continued to trade away veterans with longtime Royal and fan favorite Whit Merrifield was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays.

In exchange for Merrifield, the Royals received IF Samad Taylor and RHP Max Castillo. This is a cost-cutting move for them but it has ramifications for fantasy baseball.

We'll break down that deal below as the RotoBaller team keeps you updated on all the breaking news and MLB trades as they go down.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Whit Merrifield To Toronto

Whit Merrifield goes to Toronto in a bit of a surprise given his vaccination status. It was just last month that he had to sit out the series the Royals traveled to Toronto for. Just today, the Blue Jays said nothing has changed given his status.

The quick analysis is that he won't play in any games in Toronto unless he gets vaccinated. That would make him available for road games only. But let's take it a step further than that in case he does become available to play in Toronto.

Merrifield has a better chance at playing second basemen than he does in the outfield. How do the second basemen shake out for the Blue Jays overall? Merrifield is batting .240 with a .290 OBP, six HR, 15 SB, 51 R, and 42 RBI. He has career lows in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.

Santiago Espinal has been playing quite a bit of second base this year for the Blue Jays as well. He has started 79 games at second base and played a total of 87 games there this season. He is batting .265 with a .315 OBP, six HR, five SB, 39 R, and 40 RBI. Quite frankly, his overall numbers look very similar in terms of getting on base and power. Espinal does not steal as frequently as Merrifield does.

Cavan Biggio has played some second base but has also spent some time at first base, second base, and the outfield. Biggio is batting .216 with a .341 OBP, two HR, two SB, 25 R, and 14 RBI in just 183 plate appearances this year.

When comparing all three guys here, Merrifield this season is not much better than these options. He has the lowest OBP of the three and all three have low ISOs. He really only gives them a bigger threat on the base paths. If we go back to 2019, then Merrifield is an upgrade over these two, but that was three years ago and Merrifield is 33.

I look at Merrifield as a bench player that is versatile and will see himself in the lineup on days where guys need a rest or when guys get hurt. Merrifield can play 2B, or corner outfield. Centerfield is George Springer and then Ramiel Tapia when Springer is hurt. If Lourdes Gurriel Jr., or Teoscar Hernandez get hurt or need a day off, it will either be Merrifield or Biggio out there.

In the infield, the starting second basemen will either be Merrifield or Espinal but Espinal has seen work at third base and shortstop as well. So if Bichette or Chapman is out, then Espinal could move to their spot, giving Merrifield a way to play at second.

I do think Merrifield is an everyday player on this team even if he gets vaccinated. He is having his worst offensive season and is 33 years old. He is able to play second base and the corner outfield spots, allowing the Blue Jays to move Espinal around more for injury or if guys need rest.

The Blue Jays are on a road trip. They just wrapped up their series in Tampa Bay (Merrifield did not play). They will play four in Minnesota, then three in Baltimore before returning to Toronto on Friday, August 12th.

For people that have been playing Merrifield in their lineups, this hurts. Merrifield is tied at 10th in stolen bases in the league. He was on pace for over 80 runs, 65 RBI, and 22 steals. Although he is moving to a better lineup, and on a per-game basis his counting stats could improve, the face he likely won't play every day hurts his value quite a bit.

If I had him on my team, I would try to FAAB for steals, which can be hard to do. I probably do not drop him and wait and see how the Blue Jays use him. If he doesn't get vaccinated, then he probably is a drop for me, especially if he's not their every second baseman. In draft and hold leagues, he would only start if I was thin at second base or MI and if there is a week where Toronto is on the road.

We will learn more about how the Blue Jays will actually deploy him, but do not be surprised if he is a bench utility player that plays maybe 60% of the time.

 

The Royals' Return

Samad Taylor becomes the Royals' 23rd best prospect according to the MLB website. Taylor is at Triple-A, and is 24 years old. He is batting .258 with a .337 OBP, nine home runs, 23 steals, in 280 at-bats. He is an excellent fielder with just two errors, but that does not help us in fantasy. He is fast and has a good glove but overall may not a very good hitter at the MLB level. He could end up as a utility type of a player and largely irrelevant for fantasy.

Max Castillo becomes the Royals' 13th best prospect. In 20.2 innings pitched for the Blue Jays, he has a 3.05 ERA and 3.34 xFIP. He also strikes out nearly one batter per inning. He has started two games. In those games, he pitched 7.1 innings, allowed four runs, and had four strikeouts. With players like Brad Keller, Kris Bubic, and Daniel Lynch, Castillo is someone who could slot into a rotation spot or become a middle-inning reliever.

If Castillo can be a strikeout per inning guy, there is some fantasy relevance there. In those two starts, he was a nearly a strikeout every two-inning guy. Being the fourth starter on the Royals and not producing many strikeouts is irrelevant for most fantasy leagues. His fantasy viability is TBD at this point. Hopefully he gets some chances down the stretch here. He could be a streaming option this season or someone to consider for 2023, but he will have to show it first. He most likely won't be viable for fantasy.

 

Final Thoughts

The Royals traded away a big contract of an aging and slumping player for two prospects with limited upside. Overall the trade was not necessarily a bad deal, in fact, the Royals may have gotten the better end of it. For fantasy, it potentially takes one of the top base stealers and makes him a bench player. Outside of that, there may not be much fantasy relevance.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jace Jung20 mins ago

Hits Home Run No. 2 At Triple-A
Jon Singleton22 mins ago

Signs Minor-League Deal With Mets
Niko Goodrum32 mins ago

Signs Minor-League Deal With Mets
Nick Kurtz36 mins ago

Belts Third Home Run In Last Four Games
Shohei Ohtani50 mins ago

Blasts Walk-Off Home Run
Zac Veen58 mins ago

Triples, Collects Four RBI At Triple-A On Wednesday
Zac Gallen59 mins ago

Strikes Out 13
Luke Waddell1 hour ago

Swinging A Hot Bat At Triple-A
Chandler Simpson2 hours ago

With A Two-Run Triple, Stolen Base On Wednesday
Los Angeles Chargers2 hours ago

Chargers Sign Tight End Jordan Petaia
Austin Gomber3 hours ago

Scratched From Rehab Start With Shoulder Inflammation
Zack Wheeler3 hours ago

Records 10 Strikeouts
3 hours ago

Matthew Golden Making Pre-Draft Visit To Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals3 hours ago

Trey Hendrickson Not Looking For Short-Term Deal
Aroldis Chapman3 hours ago

Earns First Save Of The Season
Garrett Crochet3 hours ago

Works Eight Strong Innings
Tutu Atwell3 hours ago

Rams Plan To Give Tutu Atwell A Bigger Role In 2025
Rafael Devers4 hours ago

Finally Delivers At The Plate
Tampa Bay Buccaneers4 hours ago

Bucs Restructure Antoine Winfield's Deal To Free Up Cap Space
Xavier Edwards4 hours ago

Collects Four Hits
Pete Alonso4 hours ago

Comes Up Clutch
Jackson Merrill6 hours ago

Goes Deep After Inking Nine-Year Extension
Jrue Holiday6 hours ago

Won't Play Against Miami
New York Jets6 hours ago

Xavier Newman-Johnson Re-Signs With New York
Luis Castillo6 hours ago

Finally Beats The Tigers On Wednesday
Al Horford6 hours ago

Sidelined Versus Heat
Seiya Suzuki6 hours ago

Carries Cubs Offense With Two Homers, Five RBI
Kristaps Porzingis6 hours ago

Ruled Out On Wednesday
Fred VanVleet6 hours ago

Out Versus Utah
Dennis Santana6 hours ago

Picks Up First Save Of The Year
Evan Phillips6 hours ago

Tony Gonsolin, Evan Phillips Starting Rehab Assignments
Dean Wade6 hours ago

Sidelined On Wednesday
Trae Young7 hours ago

Expected To Suit Up On Wednesday
Joel Embiid7 hours ago

Will Undergo Arthroscopic Surgery On His Left Knee
Evgeni Malkin7 hours ago

Joins Penguins For Road Trip
Filip Chytil7 hours ago

Could Miss Rest Of Season
Declan Chisholm7 hours ago

Back In Action Against Rangers
Keaton Wallace8 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Wednesday
Samuel Girard8 hours ago

Exits Avalanche Lineup Wednesday
Joel Kiviranta8 hours ago

Returning Against Blackhawks
Eeli Tolvanen8 hours ago

Misses First Game Of The Season
Jaden Schwartz8 hours ago

Unavailable Against Canucks
9 hours ago

Kyle McCord Rising Up Draft Boards?
9 hours ago

Ashton Jeanty To Raiders Continues To Gain Steam
10 hours ago

Emeka Egbuka To Fall To Round 2?
Los Angeles Rams10 hours ago

Rob Havenstein Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Cleveland Browns11 hours ago

Mike Hall Likely To Miss Offseason Program After Having Knee Surgery
New England Patriots12 hours ago

Christian Barmore Expected To Be Ready For Offseason Workouts
12 hours ago

Saints Expected To Visit With Quinn Ewers
Jake Moody12 hours ago

49ers To Bring In Competition For Jake Moody
Pittsburgh Steelers12 hours ago

Steelers In Play To Draft A Running Back
Green Bay Packers14 hours ago

Packers Not Ruling Out Jaire Alexander Returning
Tennessee Titans14 hours ago

No. 1 Overall Pick Might Not Be For Sale
Kenny Pickett14 hours ago

Browns Feel Good About QB Situation, Kenny Pickett
Cleveland Browns15 hours ago

Browns Unlikely To Trade Up To No. 1 Overall For Cam Ward
Cincinnati Bengals15 hours ago

Bengals Still Working On Contract Extension With Trey Hendrickson
Dyami Brown15 hours ago

Jaguars Intrigued By Dyami Brown's Potential
Bennedict Mathurin16 hours ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Myles Turner16 hours ago

May Miss Another Game Wednesday
Al Horford16 hours ago

Considered Doubtful Wednesday
Jrue Holiday16 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Kristaps Porzingis16 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Jaylen Brown16 hours ago

Could Remain On The Shelf Wednesday
Cade Cunningham16 hours ago

Likely Out For Fifth Straight Game
Anthony Davis16 hours ago

Probable Wednesday
Evan Bouchard18 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Victory
Jake Guentzel18 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Kirill Marchenko18 hours ago

Scores Hat Trick On Tuesday
Tage Thompson18 hours ago

Stays Hot On The Scoresheet
Lane Hutson18 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers In Overtime Victory
Alex Ovechkin19 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Cameron Young23 hours ago

A Player To Avoid At Valero Texas Open
Kurt Kitayama23 hours ago

In Search Of Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim24 hours ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valero Texas Open
Tom Hoge1 day ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick1 day ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners1 day ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay1 day ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Gary Woodland1 day ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti1 day ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
Guerschon Yabusele1 day ago

Out Against Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns1 day ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Jevon Carter1 day ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry1 day ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Julian Phillips1 day ago

Out On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud1 day ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Jacob Trouba1 day ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Troy Terry1 day ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Jonathan Marchessault1 day ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere1 day ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn1 day ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro1 day ago

Returns Against Predators
Olli Määttä1 day ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp2 days ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim2 days ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood2 days ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau2 days ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole2 days ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Sam Stevens2 days ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA2 days ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman2 days ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland2 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg2 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall2 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara2 days ago

Gets Submitted
Édgar Cháirez2 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.2 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira2 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez2 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas2 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez2 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron3 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones3 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry4 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano4 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece4 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno6 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres6 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer6 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum6 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales6 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.6 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira6 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 2: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2025)

Week 2 of the UFL season is just around the corner. This week will feature one game on Friday, one game on Saturday, and two on Sunday. Birmingham and Michigan will play at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, followed by Memphis-D.C. on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Sunday's game pits the 1-0 Renegades against the […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings: Overvalued, Undervalued Players (2025)

Dynasty fantasy football rankings constantly shift, especially as we inch closer to the new season and fantasy drafts. Dynasty managers know the importance of finding those underrated players who could be steals in drafts or trades. They also know some players are overhyped due to unsustainable trends or past production. I'll break down two overvalued […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best Fantasy Football Moves During 2025 NFL Free Agency

It has been a wild offseason so far in the NFL. Plenty of players have switched teams in free agency, and some stars were even traded. Deebo Samuel Sr. was dealt to the Washington Commanders, Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, and DK Metcalf has a new home with the Pittsburgh Steelers. These […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]